We Live It | LiveAg's Livestock Marketing Podcast

About We Live It | LiveAg's Livestock Marketing Podcast

Welcome to the "We Live It" ranch and livestock marketing podcast, where cattle market intelligence meets ranch-ready wisdom. Join hosts Ty deCordova with LiveAg and Casey Mabry with Blue Reef Agri-marketing as they bring you straight-talk market analysis, proven strategies, and insights from industry leaders who understand ranching isn't just a business - it's a way of life. From livestock market trends to cattle management practices, each episode delivers actionable knowledge to help take your ranching operation to the next level. Whether you're in the saddle or in the truck, tune in for conversations that matter to modern cattlemen. Because we don't just talk about the cattle business...we live it.

Publisher

LiveAg

Category

business · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

17 Feb 2025

Latest episode

22 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

68 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   22 Oct 2026

   From Accounting to Cattle: Building 3E Cattle Company with Tabor Ellis

   Tabor Ellis’s first 25 stocker heifers made money. The next several taught him why a good mentor matters, and why hard work alone isn’t enough. In this episode of We Live It, Ty deCordova sits down with Tabor Ellis of 3E Cattle Company and Darrell Stokes of Elite Livestock Marketing Group at the Elite headquarters in Hope Hull, Alabama, ahead of the LiveAg video auction. Tabor shares how a childhood around cattle, poultry, and his family’s pecan business led to a career in accounting and insurance before he returned to agriculture. He explains why the numbers pushed him toward stocker cattle, how a phone call introduced him to a mentor, and what he learned about grazing, preconditioning, and managing his money before going full time in 2019. Darrell offers the marketer’s perspective on 3E’s reputation with buyers, while Tabor explains why customer service matters as much in cattle as in any other business. They also discuss getting started, raising kids around livestock, a school livestock facility supporting FFA opportunities, and a shipping day that tested everyone’s determination in a downpour. Whether you’re a stocker operator, an aspiring cattle producer, or a livestock rep, this conversation explores the people and decisions behind a growing cattle business. Topics Covered: • Tabor’s path from accounting and insurance to cattle • Starting with 25 heifers and learning beyond the first profit • Mentorship in grazing, preconditioning, and money management • Going full time in the cattle business in 2019 • Buyer trust and customer service at 3E • Advice for aspiring cattle producers • FFA, school livestock facilities, and family involvement • Shipping four loads through a rainstorm 🧬 Powered by BioZyme® We Live It is powered by BioZyme®, makers of VitaFerm® and Gain Smart®. Their partnership with LiveAg helps qualifying cattle nutrition programs earn recognition in nationwide video auctions. Learn about program eligibility and connect with a BioZyme dealer or LiveAg rep: https://biozymeinc.com/article/premium-nutrition-pays-biozyme-and-liveag-partner-for-profitable-cattle-programs (https://biozymeinc.com/article/premium-nutrition-pays-biozyme-and-liveag-partner-for-profitable-cattle-programs)

2. 

   15 Oct 2026

   Building Better Cattle & Repeat Buyers with Dan Wendland & Bill Lipscomb

   Good cattle bring buyers to the sale. Consistent performance brings them back. At Autauga Farming Company in Autaugaville, Alabama, generations of records and improvement have earned both repeat customers and national recognition. In this episode of We Live It, Ty deCordova and guest co-host Jerry Etheredge of Elite Livestock Marketing Group sit down with Dan Wendland and Bill Lipscomb at Elite headquarters in Hope Hull, Alabama, ahead of the LiveAg video auction. Dan is Autauga’s livestock and forage manager; Bill spent more than four decades managing the farm. They trace the Producers Feeder Calf Sale back to 1980, when local cattlemen moved from sealed bids to an auction. Bill explains how buyer feedback helped shape today’s vaccination protocols, 60-day weaning program, and approach to marketing uniform loads. Dan shares how performance records, Alabama BCIA participation, and CattleMax help guide herd decisions—and the work behind Autauga’s 2026 Beef Improvement Federation Commercial Producer of the Year award. The conversation also covers putting homegrown corn and purchased-back cottonseed to work in cattle rations, earning buyer trust, and expanding the Southeast’s buyer base through Elite and LiveAg. Whether you’re a commercial cow-calf producer, a cattle buyer, or a livestock rep, this conversation offers a practical look at building cattle—and relationships—that last. Topics Covered: • Five generations of farming and raising the sixth • Connecting row crops and cattle nutrition • The Producers Feeder Calf Sale’s beginnings in 1980 • Moving from sealed bids to auction price discovery • Buyer-driven improvements in health and weaning • Alabama BCIA records and CattleMax • Autauga’s national BIF recognition • Repeat buyers, trust, and broader market access 🧬 Powered by BioZyme® We Live It is powered by BioZyme®, makers of VitaFerm® and Gain Smart®. Their partnership with LiveAg helps qualifying cattle nutrition programs earn recognition in nationwide video auctions. Learn about program eligibility and connect with a BioZyme dealer or LiveAg rep: https://biozymeinc.com/article/premium-nutrition-pays-biozyme-and-liveag-partner-for-profitable-cattle-programs (https://biozymeinc.com/article/premium-nutrition-pays-biozyme-and-liveag-partner-for-profitable-cattle-programs)

3. 

   17 Sept 2026

   The Gut Health Secret Behind Healthier Calves with Dr. Chris Cassady

   Nutrition might be the one variable in a cattle operation a producer can actually control — and according to Dr. Chris Cassady, it's also one of the most overlooked drivers of value on sale day. In this episode of We Live It, Ty deCordova and Casey Mabry sit down with Dr. Chris Cassady, Director of Technical Services at BioZyme, to break down exactly how the company's nutrition programs translate into healthier, more marketable cattle. Chris shares his path from growing up on a diversified Illinois grain and cattle farm through Texas A&M, a master's and PhD at the University of Illinois, and a faculty position at Iowa State before joining BioZyme's technical team. From there, the guys dig into the VitaFerm Raised badge — a value-added program for calves fed VitaFerm in utero or for at least 45 days leading up to sale — and why buyers increasingly view a documented nutrition program as a signal of overall management quality. Chris explains the science behind the gut-immunity connection (roughly 70% of the immune system lives in the gut) and how that ties directly into vaccine response and long-term health. They also walk step-by-step through the Gain Smart program: the drench that jump-starts appetite in freshly received, stressed calves; the stress tubs that keep gut health in check through the first two to three weeks; and the fortified mineral and vitamin line that carries cattle the rest of the way to delivery. Ty shares a real-world example of nearly a pound-a-day gain difference between two adjacent wheat pastures where mineral was the only variable — plus their own experience running Liquid Boost through the water tank. Chris closes out with a look at Sure Start, BioZyme's day-old calving drench built to support passive immunity right at tagging. Whether you're a commercial cow-calf producer, a stocker or backgrounder, or a cattle rep helping clients tell their nutrition story on sale day, this conversation is packed with practical takeaways on turning a feeding program into real value. Topics Covered: • Dr. Chris Cassady's background — Illinois farm roots, Texas A&M, Iowa State faculty, BioZyme technical services • What the VitaFerm Raise badge program is and how calves qualify • The 45-day feeding window that applies to both VitaFerm and Gain Smart badges • Why 70% of the immune system lives in the gut — and what that means for vaccine response • The three-step Gain Smart program: drench, stress tubs, and mineral/vitamin supplementation • Real-world gain data: nearly a pound-a-day difference on matched wheat pastures • What's actually in the mineral — Amaferm, organic trace minerals, and why the combination matters • How buyers and feedyards read a nutrition badge on sale day • Sure Start: BioZyme's new day-old calf drench for tagging season • How producers can connect with their local BioZyme rep and get the badge on their listing 🧬 Powered by BioZyme® The We Live It podcast is proudly powered by BioZyme, the makers of VitaFerm® and Gain Smart®. Proper cattle nutrition is the foundation of livestock health. Through LiveAg's nationwide video auction platform, cattle fed BioZyme minerals gain exposure to a national buyer base, often resulting in premium returns. 🔗 Learn more: https://biozymeinc.com/blog/biozyme-partners-with-liveag/ (https://biozymeinc.com/blog/biozyme-partners-with-liveag/) (00:00) - Introduction: Meet Dr. Chris Cassady: Illinois Farm Roots to BioZyme (02:23) - What Is the VitaFerm Raise Badge Program? (03:15) - How Calves Qualify: In-Utero Nutrition Through Sale Day (04:42) - Why Nutrition Awareness Has Grown Across the Industry (05:40) - The Gut-Immunity Connection: 70% of Immunity Starts in the Gut (07:06) - Breaking Down Gain Smart: A Three-Step Program (07:45) - Step 1 — The Drench: Jump-Starting a Stressed Calf's Appetite (09:24) - Step 2 — Stress Tubs: The "Trickle Charger" for Weaning (10:15) - Step 3 — Gain Smart Minerals: Stocker, Wheat & Balancer Options (11:47) - Real-World Results: Nearly a Pound-a-Day Gain Difference (12:40) - Ty's Experience: Running Gain Smart Through the Water Tank (14:04) - The "Secret Sauce" — Amaferm and Why the Combination Matters (16:23) - How Buyers and Feedyards Read a Nutrition Badge (18:38) - Getting Started: Talking to Your Local BioZyme Rep (20:58) - Tell Your Rep — How to Actually Get the Badge on Sale Day (21:45) - Introducing Sure Start: A New Tool for Tagging Season (23:21) - Closing Thoughts & Where to Learn More

Who has been a guest on We Live It | LiveAg's Livestock Marketing Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Beaver Yoder
• Hollie Bunn
• Alex Thompson
• Bryson Williams
• Margo Paeltz

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

13 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 23 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

26

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact We Live It | LiveAg's Livestock Marketing Podcast

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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